Friends with Benefits
by Sweet Steffie
Summary: What started as a simple bet between 2 brothers turned into a bigger sexual exploration than they ever thought possible. Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Peyton
1. The After Math

**Title**: Friends with Benefits

**Author**: Steffie

**Category**: One Tree Hill

**Rating**: PG-13

**Characters:** Nathan, Lucas, Haley, Brooke, Peyton among others

**Summary**: What started as simple bet between 2 brothers turns into a bigger sexual exploration than either thought possible.

**Notes:** Throughout the story, I shall be placing lyrics from songs to fit with the scene.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the said characters and/or songs mentioned in this story, they belong to their creator. Sue me and you get old coconuts and a dirty hula skirt.

* * *

_**In a flash, the things you hold close can disappear.**_

_**Vanish like a lost thought.**_

_**Lifelong trust can turn on you, blood can betray you. And the future you foresaw, GONE.**_

_I open my eyes  
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light  
I can't remember how  
I can't remember why  
I'm lying here tonight_

"We need another doctor in here! Severe internal bleeding," a nurse yelled over the hectic clatter and chatter in the operating room. The Emergency room was crammed; 3 doctors and 5 nurses were running around the 2 bodies that were occupying their attention.

"Get Dr. Williams in here right now! Dr. Benton as well!" Dr. Petite yelled. The French doctor had his hands full and it was becoming evident that he needed more help for the severity of the night. A nurse ran outside to follow his orders, 2 seconds later 3 more nurses arrived.

"Nurse I need that I.V." Dr. Petite ordered.

"Somebody fill me in," Dr. Nicolas said, who had just scrubbed in.

Nurses were running around, doctors were frantically trying to do their job, and helplessly on the stretchers lay their patients. Tonight was the night that Tree Hill's doctors were being tested, as they never had a case like this before. Never before in Tree Hill's history has there been an incident this severe.

Blood was everywhere…

Too much blood…..

"Damn it, how long am I going to have to wait for that I.V.?"

* * *

_And I can't stand the pain  
And I can't make it go away  
No I can't stand the pain_

"Lucas? Lucas? Can you hear me?" a voice echoed. Lucas lazily opened his eyes, though as soon as the light hit them, he shut them tightly. "Lucas honey, please open your eyes," the voice pleaded. Recognizing the voice as his mother's, he tried to open his eyes once more. "Mom," he croaked out, but soon as he did he regretted it, as a painful sting surged through his lungs. He hissed, which caused an even greater pain to surge through him.

"Honey calm down, try to breathe," Karen said, her voice breaking at every word. "Your right lung collapsed again," she said. Lucas looked around and soon came to the realization that he was in the hospital. Looking to the side, he searched the room for any other occupants. But there were no others.

"Where's Brooke?" he asked. Karen took in a breath at the question, knowing that he eventually would ask. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead, stroking his hair softly. "You need to rest, we'll talk about it when the doctor gets here," she softly said. Lucas noticed that his mother's eyes were starting to tear up, causing panic to take over him. "Mom, what happened to her?" Lucas asked, ignoring the sting that was taking over. Karen shook her head and pressed her lips together. Now was not the time to explain to Lucas what happened to Brooke, or the others.

The others…..

"Honey, please," Karen began. The pain on her face had Lucas thinking the worse. "No! Brooke!" he yelled, he started to fight, yanking the I.V. needles out of his arms. Karen tried to stop him, but to no avail. "Brooke!" he screamed. The pain in his throat was unbearable, but he ignored it, continuing to try and get free. "Lucas stop!" Karen yelled, trying to push Lucas down on the bed.

"Brooke!" he continued to yell. He was trying to fight his mother off so hard that he didn't realize the doctor that came running in, or that they had given him an emergency sedative to knock him out.

"Brooke," he mumbled drowsily before drifting off.

* * *

_How could this happen to me. I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run. The night goes on  
As I'm fading away. I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream. How could this happen to me_

Nathan sat up in his hospital bed, a bewildered look on his face. Of all his friends, he was the only one conscious. He had been told that Lucas had been conscious as well, but he had been transported to his half-brother's room after Lucas was sedated.

Nathan's neck was in a neck-brace, and he was on a respirator. He couldn't feel the lower half of his body, but the doctor told him that it was probably only temporary paralysis. The news nearly gave his mother a heart attack, but it didn't seem to affect Nathan. Quite frankly, nothing seemed to affect him at all at the moment. The only thing he could think about was Haley.

Haley…..

He didn't know where she was, nobody had told him anything. And he couldn't get himself to ask anybody. He was too lost to really do anything at the moment. All he could really think about was the last few hours that they had experienced. It had been quite a night for the Tree Hill clique, a night they would surely never forget for the rest of their lives.

That is, if they lived to remember it.

The door creaked open and in walked Dan Scott, father to both Lucas and Nathan. He slowly walked in, not wanting to scare Nathan. "Son?" he quietly called out when he reached the bed. Nathan didn't respond, he was still staring into distant space. "Nathan, can you hear me?" Dan asked, but he didn't get a response. Dan sighed. He felt a little at ease knowing that atleast one of them was awake.

Taking a seat in between both beds, Dan turned from side to side, looking at both of his sons. The last few hours had really shocked him to say the least, and he didn't know what to think , or what to do.

It was silent in the room, the only noise to be recorded was the beeping of the contraptions to which both of Dan's sons were connected. The natural sound of Nathan's steady breathing was the only thing that was keeping Dan remotely calm. The mayor was trying to be the strong one here, seeing as Deb and Karen had already completely caved in. But he was starting to lose his composure, and losing it fast.

Burying his face in his hands, Dan sighed, his eyes filling with tears.

"God, please don't take my sons, not yet," he sobbed.

* * *

_Everybody's screaming  
I try to make a sound but no one hears me  
I'm slipping off the edge  
I'm hanging by a thread  
I wanna start this over again_

"Where the hell is Dr. Williams?" Dr. Nicholas groaned. He was having trouble on his patient and the other doctors were too busy on the other.

"Nurse, I need that clamp," Dr. Petite ordered over on the other table. He was surrounded by 5 nurses along with Dr. Michaels. "Ok, easy now," he said as he carefully lowered the clamp into the split stomach of his patient. Being careful was crucial at this point.

"Doctor, she's hemorrhaging," the nurse called out. "Dr. Petite groaned, frustration taking over him. "Block off the artery," Dr. Michaels ordered to one of the nurses as he still tried to angle the clamp the right way.

Just then Dr. Williams emerged, already scrubbed in and ready to start.

"The 4 lower ribs here are broken, we need to bind them," Dr. Nicholas explained as he carefully started to slice open his patient's stomach. "Nurse, I need you to suck out the excess air in her lower stomach," he ordered. "50 cc of morphine now," he ordered.

"Doctor, we have a problem," the nurse piped in, injection ready in hand.

"What is it?" he asked.

"She's pregnant,"

* * *

_So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered  
And I can't explain what happened  
And I can't erase the things that I've done  
No I can't_

Karen, Deb, Keith, and Dan sat in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting any type of news from the doctors. They had been waiting there for over 2 hours, and they didn't know how long they could stand being in the dark about the situation. Nathan was still not responding, Lucas was still sedated and no news on the girls had been given to them yet.

"I don't think I can handle the wait anymore," Karen sighed. The tiny brunette looked completely disheveled and exhausted. She was extremely exhausted and deprived of sleep, and almost deprived of her sanity as well. Keith put his arm around her shoulder, trying to give her some type of comfort. "Everything is going to be fine," he whispered before laying a kiss on her temple. She squeezed his hand to show her gratitude and laid her head on his shoulder. "I hope so," she whispered.

Deb stood up and paced around slowly, her arms folded over her chest. Sitting down was not helping her nerves very well. She was scared out of her mind, just like all of them were. Dan looked at her, hoping that seeing her this upset could somehow calm him.

"What about Peyton?" Deb suddenly asked.

Keith sighed and bowed his head. "They still cant find her body," he said.

* * *

_How could this happen to me. I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run. The night goes on  
As I'm fading away. I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream. How could this happen to me_

"Doctor she is still hemorrhaging," the nurse said, adding pressure to the artery. Dr. Petit was trying to stop the internal bleeding while Dr. Michaels was attempting to clamp her. "Got it," Dr. Michaels sighed, as he continued procedure.

"Doctor, what should we do?" the nurse asked. "Lower it to 25 cc. It wont affect the fetus," Dr. Nicholas replied as he continued procedure to bind her ribs.

"Heart rate is dropping, she lost too much blood," a nurse said of one patient.

"Blood pressure is dropping," said the nurse at the other table.

"Doctor she's going,"

"Shock em. Charge to 100,"

"Clear," Her body jolted, nothing happened.

"Charge to 150,"

"Clear,"

Nothing.

"Charge to 200,"

"Clear,"

Nothing.

And then it happened.

They both flat-lined.

Dr. Petite sighed.

"Call it. Brooke Davis and Haley James-Scott. Time of death, 3:52 a.m."

* * *

**To be Continued.**

Song by Simple Plan.


	2. The Bet

**Title**: Friends with Benefits

**Author**: Steffie

**Category:** One Tree Hill

**Rating:** PG-13

**Summary**: What started as a simple bet between 2 brothers turned into a bigger sexual exploration than either thought possible.

**Characters**: Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Haley, Brooke among others.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the said characters, quotes and/or songs mentioned in this story.

**Note**: I am all for criticism, good or bad. But if you are going to flame me without constructive arguments, at least have the balls to do it as a signed review. If not, I don't take shit you say seriously. I have been writing fanfiction way too long to put up with such childish attitude.Thank You.

* * *

**Life, no one really knows where it will take us.**

**Is it all in decisions that guide us, or does fate play the bigger role, dictating the role we will travel?**

**Which course we will be steering, what twists we must endure?**

3 Months Earlier:

"I'm going to miss you," Haley softly said, wrapping her arms tightly around Nathan's neck. Nathan chuckled, banding his arms around her waist, lightly lifting her off of the floor as he hugged her. "I'll miss you too baby," he whispered, laying a quick kiss on her neck. Haley sighed, trying to hold him as long as possible before she had to leave. She had never been away from her husband before and letting him go wasn't as easy she as expected.

"Oh come on lovebirds, break it up, we aren't leaving forever," a voice slightly groaned. Haley turned her face to the side to see none other then her best friends Lucas, Brooke and Peyton standing in front of her. "I understand that you guys as spouses have never left each other's side, but we really don't need to see the revolting mushy gushy marital bon voyage cry-fest. Not today at least," Brooke said, a satisfied smile on her face at the evil glare she was getting from Haley.

"Yeah, like you and Lucas didn't say your mushy-gushy goodbyes already," Peyton said in fake-sickened voice, rolling her eyes which earned her a light slap on the back from Brooke. "I didn't tell him how much I was going to miss him, I showed him," the feisty brunette replied, sticking out her tongue.

"That was an overshare," Peyton replied, looking slightly revolted. The others merely chuckled.

It wasn't often that they said goodbye to each other. The Tree Hill group had hardly ever been apart for more than a couple of days, much less a whole summer. It was always the 5 of them, year in, year out. Sure, they've had their problems and avoided each other, but they were still always together, whether it be on good terms or bad. But this summer was going to be different.

It was the summer before senior year, the last summer that they would spend as Tree Hill High school students. Brooke and Haley were going to New York for Brooke's shot at the Rogue Vogue fashion show while Lucas, Nathan and Peyton decided to stay in Tree Hill. Peyton and Ellie were planning on putting the finishing touches on their compilation CD while Nathan and Lucas were going to do what they do best; BASKETBALL.

"Come here you," Lucas playfully said, pulling Haley away from Nathan and embraced her in a tight hug. "Hey, get your own wife," Nathan said. Lucas laughed, looking at his little brother. "Don't worry honey, I'll give her back before dinner," Lucas replied in a girly voice. Peyton groaned at the statement.

"Could you guys please stop with the fluffy talk, it's nauseating and I just ate," the curly haired blond growled. The younger Scott brother gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry the lovey dovey pittet patter is upsetting your stomach doo-doo dumpling," he said before giving her a hug. "Eww, eww don't touch me with that tone of voice," Peyton laughed, trying to push him off. But to no avail, he had her locked in a hug. "Um, wait. Why are we hugging? We aren't going anywhere," Peyton asked, causing everyone to laugh.

"Flight 428 to New York city is now boarding. All passengers, please make your way to gate 38," a voice said over the PA.

"I guess that's our call," Brooke said. She quickly gave Nathan a hug. "Make sure he doesn't break anything on the court. I want to come back to my whole boyfriend, not 2 halves," she pleaded. "I will," Nathan said, lightly punching her cheek. "And you, stay out of trouble missy," Brooke ordered, giving Peyton a tight hug as well. "I will. Good luck at the fashion show," Peyton replied. Brooke then turned to Lucas and smiled, giving her boyfriend a tight hug. "I love you," he said, and leaned in to kiss her.

"Tell Ellie I'll miss her," Haley said when she hugged Peyton. After giving Lucas a quick hug, she once again turned to her husband, a smile showing through pressed lips. "Don't have too much fun without me," she said, leaning in to kiss him. He smiled at the request, giving in to the kiss. "You too sweets," he whispered when they pulled apart. After putting a kiss on her temple he let her go. And off to Gate 38 went Brooke and Haley.

"Think you guys can last 8 weeks without the better halves?" Peyton asked at the looks on the guys' faces as they watched the girls leave. "No," Lucas exclaimed. Peyton laughed. "I'll give you guys 3 weeks to crack," she laughed. Putting her arms around both Nathan's and Lucas' next, they turned to leave the airport, heading back home.

* * *

"He shoots, he scores!" Nathan called, giving himself an applause at the 3-pointer he just made. Lucas turned to him, exhaustion clear on his face. They had been playing ball for over 2 hours and they showed no inclination of stopping anytime soon. Score was long forgotten, they had lost track after they reached 68.

"That was a lucky shot," Lucas exclaimed. He was completely out of breath and drenched in his own sweat. "Your point?" Nathan asked. After a couple of missed shots and too much dribbling they both dropped themselves on the benches on the court. "That was a good game," Lucas sighed, reaching in his bag for a bottle of water. Nathan did the same, pouring it all over his head.

"1 day down, 55 more to go," the younger Scott said. Lucas chuckled at the comment. "Going to spend the whole summer counting down the days for Haley to return?" he asked. "Yup," Nathan replied, a smile crossing his face. Lucas threw a towel at him. "Good, I was going to do the same thing," he replied and both of them chuckled. "Just don't lose your mind thinking about Haley. I don't want her beating me up when she returns to find that I had to submit you to a mental hospital," he added. Nathan laughed, shaking his head, to ashamed to admit that that could be the case at the rate he was going.

"But the way I see it, you would sooner crack then I would," Nathan said in a matter-of-factly tone. Lucas cocked an eyebrow up at that statement. Feeling slightly challenged, he turned to face his younger brother. "This coming from a married guy that devoted his life legally to one woman. I think you are mistaken, you would crack first," Lucas said. Nathan rolled his eyes. "You guys are never gonna drop the "married" crap are you?" he asked, but it seemed more like a statement rather than a question.

"Nope," Lucas replied with a smile, ducking in time when an empty water bottle came flying in his direction. "Me marrying Haley just means I made it illegal for her to be interested in anybody else. You on the other hand are insecure about Brooke because she has no legal obligation to you," Nathan proclaimed. Lucas laughed, looking slightly defeated.

"So in other words, let me know when you crack, I'll be ready to tell you that I told you so," Nathan added. He followed by getting up from the bench and started to back his stuff. Lucas on the other hand stayed seated, absentmindedly running his finger over the rim of his water bottle.

Was Nathan right? No, he didn't think that Brooke was going to cheat him on, no matter what happened in the past. He trusted her, as did she. That was never an issue in the conversation. But would Lucas really crack, knowing his girlfriend was gone for 8 weeks thousands of miles away? Nathan on the other hand, no matter how wild and rough he used to be in the past, had given up his playboy days to be a teenage devoted husband. The trust as obviously there and Haley was the last person on the planet to think about cheating. So being apart from your spouse, wouldn't it mean that Nathan would crack first?

"Why don't we wager that?" Lucas challenged, coming out of his deep thought. Nathan turned around, a questioned confused look covered on his handsome face. "That you are insecure? Ok, start paying up," Nathan laughed, but Lucas shook his head.

"No, why don't we wager on who is going to crack first," he calmly said. Nathan stood straight, not completely understanding what Lucas meant. "How do you mean?" he asked. Lucas shrugged, stepping from the little bleachers and onto the court. Grabbing the basketball, he dribbled for a moment before making a shot.

"We are stuck here in Tree Hill with the subconscious agenda of moping around about our lovers. Why not wager that we can actually go the summer without thinking so much about them that we crack?" Lucas challenged. Nathan gestured for the basketball, contemplating the meaning of Lucas' statement. "And how do you propose we do that?" he asked. A grin crossed Lucas' face.

"We pick a girl from town and go out with her. Not to say we are dating, we will make it clear to her that we are just hanging out. We are just having fun for the summer. If you can successfully do that, you will be too busy having a good time then to think about Haley, or me with Brooke. If you can't, you will crack," Lucas stated.

Nathan nodded, aiming for the rim as he took a shot. "What are we betting?" he asked. Lucas thought for a moment, as a prize wasn't what he thought about. After a moment, he came up with an idea. "Loser cleans the winner's yard for the rest of the summer. The winner will be yard-work free for the summer and having the knowledge that they are the better Scott brother," Lucas stated, causing Nathan to laugh. "Ok buddy, your on," the taller Scott said. He picked up the ball and headed to his bag. But then something suddenly crossed Nathan's mind.

"But wait, who's the girl?" he asked. Lucas smiled, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"Peyton."

* * *

Note: Haley never left town, Chris Keller doesnt exist in this story.

To be Continued.


	3. Nathan's first Move

**Title:** Friends with Benefits  
**Author:** Steffie  
**Category:** One Three Hill  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** What started as a simple bet between 2 brothers turned into a bigger sexual exploration than either thought possible.  
**Characters:** Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Peyton among others  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.  
**Note**: I do not appreciate it that people put my story on story alert but don't take the time to review. It will take only a few seconds of your time. If you don't take the time to review, then I shouldn't take the time to write this story. Also, don't tell me what to do in my story, if you don't like the pairings, DON'T READ. I'm sick of people telling me how to write MY story. Thank you to all others for your support.

* * *

"Hey Peyton."

The blond diverted her attention from her task to look up, smiling at the sight in front of her. "Hey Nathan," she replied. Nathan stood at the doorway, a bag in his right hand. He took her acknowledgement as a sign to enter, and he stepped into her bedroom. "You really need to get a doorbell, I've been knocking for over 5 minutes," he stated, which earned a smirk from the small blond.

"You know I never hear anything when I am in here. Besides, you should know by now that you can just enter," she returned. He smiled at the statement, and walked over to meet her at the desk. "Yeah, that's me, what if it was a sex-crazed maniac?" Nathan retorted which earned a glare from Peyton. "There isn't a difference between the 2 of you," she stated with a smile. The next thing she knew she was ducking down to avoid a sugar coated donut that was flying towards her. When she stood back up, she was met by a very satisfied look on his face.

"I resent that. Not a sex maniac, just a sex king," he corrected. Peyton rolled her eyed, but couldn't help but laugh as well. "How's the compilation CD coming along?" he asked as he watched her clear her desk of all the drawings. She shrugged, shoving the last few pages into the drawer. "It's coming along great. We are getting some really great bands. I just can't seem to come up with a cover that satisfies me," she sighed, shoving a chunk of hair behind her ear. Upon that statement she quickly reached for the bag in Nathan's hand and grabbed a donut for herself.

"Yeah, you are pretty hard to satisfy, you are hard to keep up with," he joked. It was now his turn to duck as a half-eaten donut came flying his way. "Pervert," she yelled and stuck out her tongue before grabbing another donut. She followed by dropping herself on the edge of her bed, and Nathan leaned against her desk. "What's the name of the CD anyway?" he asked. Peyton heaved a heavy sigh, and shrugged again. "Haven't picked one yet. "Ellie and I have been brainstorming on that one, but haven't picked one yet. We'll figure it out though," she stated.

"Where's Ellie?" Nathan asked after it was apparent that the other blond was not present. "She went back home to get some extra clothes," the younger blond replied through a full mouth. Nathan nodded and continued to eat his donut.

There was a moment of silence as both of them were too busy eating. After a few minutes Peyton sat up and bolted towards the kitchen and returned with 2 sodas in hand. "So did you crack yet?" Peyton asked when she threw the soda in Nathan's direction. He chuckled, sticking out his tongue to her. "Not yet, but don't worry, I'll let you know when I do," he promised. She laughed, shaking her head before taking a sip of her soda. "I should really bet on this cracking thing. I would end up rich," she chuckled.

"If only you knew about my bet," Nathan thought to himself. For a moment he felt guilty for thinking that. But his logic quickly took over, hiding the look in his eyes. Because really, they weren't going to play any games with her, right? Granted, what they were doing was kind of playing with Nathan's conscience. But he thought that if he kept his intentions pure, it wouldn't be bad.

"Seeing as my lovely wife is gone, I was hoping you would join me in a movie tonight," he said. Peyton looked confused and slightly taken back by the request. Sure, they were still really good friends, but it had been a while since they had one-on-one hang out time with each other, much less a movie. "Sure," she replied, though her facial expression still seemed a bit hesitant. Nathan noticed this right away as he knew his ex-girlfriend quite well.

"Oh come on Peyton, I was only joking about the sex maniac thing," he teased .She chuckled and looked up to meet his gaze. "No you weren't," she teased back. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just been a while since we hung out, and its really nice it just feels kind of weird, you know?" she shyly stated. She ducked her head down for a moment, feeling kind of embarrassed about her little confession. Nathan could merely nod at that, feeling kind of guilty again. Ever since he and Haley had gotten married, he never did spend any time alone with Peyton anymore, and he did miss it. Peyton was always cool to talk to, and she and him had a little more in common then Haley when it came to conversation.

"Yeah I know. But I miss you Peyton. I miss our conversations. I really miss hanging out with you. I was hoping we can catch up on things this summer. I want my best friend back," he admitted. He was slightly shocked when he felt a pillow hit him, and hit him HARD. "Oh you big sap. Of course I'll go," she laughed before whacking him again with a pillow. "Mercy, Mercy!" Nathan pleaded, trying to bring his arms up protect himself. "But to no avail, the little blond was violently hitting him with her feathered-fill pillow.

"Never!" she laughed. But soon she squealed loudly when Nathan speared her, throwing her onto the bed and pinning her down, himself on top of her. "Ok, ok, I give up," she breathed. Her chest heaved up and down, slightly out of breath. Her eyes were gentle, looking deeply into his own dark brown orbs. For a moment, Nathan had the urge to kiss her, remembering what he felt when he was with her. Slowly he leaned down, edging closer towards her face. Peyton's eyes widened at the realization of what was happening. Fluttering her eyes closed, she waited for him to kiss her.

But, that didn't exactly happen. He slowly lowered his face and Peyton could feel his hot breath upon her ear. "You'll never beat me," he whispered before jumping up, a smirk on his face. Peyton gasped and then turned a flush red, thinking that Nathan was actually going to kiss her. "We'll see about that one," she nervously chuckled. Trying desperately to hide her embarrassed face, she turned to her desk, looking for the newspaper.

"Ok cool, We'll go to the 8 o'clock movie. Going to pick me up?" she asked. Nathan nodded, heading to the door. "Sure, I'll see you in a few hours," he said. And with that he vanished behind the door. Peyton nodded, dropping herself on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah," she whispered, confusion and embarrassment clear on her face.

* * *


	4. The First Date

**Title:** Friends with Benefits  
**Author:** Steffie  
**Category:** One Three Hill  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** What started as a simple bet between 2 brothers turned into a bigger sexual exploration than either thought possible.  
**Characters:** Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Peyton among others  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

* * *

Peyton's laughter echoed off the walls, her cheerful giggles bringing life to their seemingly dead surroundings. It was odd to see Peyton like this. Sure, she wasn't always as depressed as she would let on, but giggling, no, giggling wasn't exactly her forte. But yet, here she was, giggling like an idiot while she was eating some ice cream. But then again, he was one of the few people that would catch her in that state, because frankly, he was one of the few that actually put her in that state to begin with.

"Come on Nathan, you can't be serious," she giggled again, which earned her a look of disgust from the younger Scott brother.

"I refuse to believe that that thing had to represent a woman, or anything near female," Nathan responded. The 2 of them had gone to the movies for the night, catching the 7:30 screening of Constantine. Action being their favorite mutual genre, picking the movie wasn't ever an issue, but yet after every movie they both seemed to differ on opinions and perspectives pertaining to the seen screening.

"No, Gabriel was an angel, and angels are unisex. But it was played by an actress," the curly blond responded. Nathan scrunched up his nose, an act he always did when he was picturing something of discomfort and displeasure in his mind. Quickly shaking his head of the uncomfortable mental picture, he took a lick of his own ice cream. Peyton laughed, the look on Nathan's face absolutely priceless.

"The movie was great though. Keanu Reeves was a really great choice. I actually liked how they portrayed hell. Doesn't seem so bad ya know," Peyton stated after a short silence. Nathan shrugged, thinking back at the movie. "Yeah, it was portrayed slightly different, but I still don't agree though. The bible never stated anywhere that Hell had fire and torture or any kind of pain. Makes me think the place really isn't as bad as they make it seem on TV," he responded.

Peyton's head jerked up at the response, a slightly bewildered look on her face. She was surprised by Nathan's response. Not just by his response, but the fact that he actually read the bible quite frankly had her flabbergasted. He noticed the look on her face and chuckled, shaking his head softly. "Yeah yeah, I read the bible. But you can't tell anybody, or else I'll have to kill you," he responded. Peyton snorted at the comment, a smile crossing her face.

"Well you better hire a hit man Scott, you would probably do a sloppy unsuccessful job," she joked. She ducked in time when a napkin came flying to her face and she responded by sticking out her tongue. "I can take you on chump. I can take you out blind folded with one arm behind my back AND my shoelaces untied," Nathan stated in a matter-of-factly tone, which sent Peyton in another bout of giggles.

"Oh please, you couldn't pin me down to the bed when we went at it, how are you going to kill me?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in amusement of his previous statement. Nathan seemed unfazed by the insult, rather seemed very convinced of his own statement. "THAT," he began, raising his finger to emphasize, "Is my little secret," he said and with that licked his ice cream once more. Peyton rolled her eyes at the statement, but then chuckled once more.

"I had a really great time tonight," she suddenly said. Nathan gave her a genuine smile, nodding at her. "I did too P. In all honesty I haven't had this much fun from a movie in a long time," he admitted. Peyton slightly blushed at the comment but quickly tried to conceal it. Nathan of all people, her ex and the stealer of her virginity couldn't see her blushing. No, she would rather have her head shaved then let him see that. As much as she loved and respected Nathan and Haley's marriage, she still had feelings for Nathan. Granted, they weren't as strong as they were when they were together and she wasn't losing any sleep over it, she still had a little crush on him.

"We used to have a lot of fun when we went out," Nathan suddenly said. Peyton was shocked by his choice of statement, but would not complain of it. "Yeah we did," she softly replied, a faint smile lingering on her lips. "That, and we humped like rabbits all day," she added. Nathan laughed at that, images and memories of them flying throwing his mind. He made the mistake of focusing on his memories and cold melted ice cream dripping on his hand was the only thing that brought him back to reality.

"But still, we had something special. You may not believe it Peyton, but you actually took a little childish attitude out of me and gave me some maturity. Not many girls can say that," he told her with a wink. Peyton scrunched up her nose, the action making her look absolutely adorable. She felt kind of weird though. The usually tom-boyish and emotionless girl was suddenly shy and acting, dare anyone say, GIRLY.

"Yeah, and not many girls can say they actually put up with you. Ha! I deserve a medal for that," she proclaimed and again she had to duck at another napkin that came flying her way. "Hey, this abuse is not fair and very wrong!" she yelled, which caused Nathan to laugh. Their conversation was cut short by a loud thunderclap, followed by an abrupt downpour of rain. Both of them quickly got up, but soon realized there wasn't actually anywhere they could go for dry shelter. Frankly it wouldn't matter, they were completely soaked within seconds.

"Well this shower is going to save me some on my water bill," Peyton laughed. Nathan chuckled. There was something about Peyton that had his amazed today. Her curls were still the same, her clothes were still the same, hell she looked exactly like she looked like on any given day. But there was something about her smile and those little bouts of giggles that had him smiling all night long. "Come on, let's go to your house before we catch pneumonia," he called out and she nodded. The ice creams long gone, they walked it over to Peyton's house drenched in the rain.

"If only all movie dates ended like this," he laughed. Peyton giggled again. "I'm sure the doctors would love that," she said. With that Nathan grabbed her hand as they walked. Peyton smiled at the gesture, yet she was sure Nathan didn't mean it the way she would have hoped for it. Nathan had always been protective of her, and even after the break up, he remained very close with her. If only he knew that him holding her hand was sending shivers up her spine, sending her hormones raging. Sending her over the edge.

But on the contrary.

If only SHE knew what was happening.

* * *


	5. Lucas's first Move

**Title:** Friends with Benefits  
**Author:** Steffie  
**Category:** One Three Hill  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** What started as a simple bet between 2 brothers turned into a bigger sexual exploration than either thought possible.  
**Characters:** Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Peyton among others  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.

NOTE: Even though only now Brooke went to Rogue Vogue, I am still using stuff that happened way after that on TV, until around the end of SEASON 3. But, Ellie hasn't died yet.

The Next Day:

"Rise and shine sleepy head!"

Peyton sat up instantly, the loud statement abruptly awakening her out of her peaceful slumber. She quickly looked around, a slight look of anger on her face as she was the culprit whom had disturbed her.

"Lucas, it is 7 a.m., it is NOT a school day and you are not holding on to the threads of life, so you have absolutely NO good reason for waking me up!" she grumbled before falling back down, throwing a pillow over her head to protect her from the sunlight. Lucas chuckled, knowing very well that was the type of response he was going to get. Peyton had never been the early bird. Not that he could really blame her, no teenager in the right mind would actually WANT to get up early in the summer.

"Yes there is a good reason! The more you sleep, the less time you have to admire my glorious, sexy body," Lucas proclaimed. Peyton sat up at the statement and leaned back, resting on her elbows. She looked at Lucas from head to toe, and shrugged. "Nothing special," she stated and lay back down. Lucas laughed, and then jumped next to her on the bed, causing Peyton to slightly groan.

"Ellie coming back today?" Lucas asked. Peyton shook her head as she yawned and stretched her arms, causing her stomach to slightly peak out. Lucas's eyes caught it, and he silently chuckled, remembering the time he was able to "kiss" her stomach. "God, she was so sexy that night," Lucas thought. But he quickly let go of the memory and raised his gaze back to her beautiful face.

"She left me message on my voicemail last night that she will be back in a couple of days. Some of her friends were passing through her town and needed a place to stay for a few days so she told me she'll be out for 2 or 3 days. She'll be back before the weekend though," Peyton tiredly said. Lucas seemed slightly confused at the sight of her. Even though Peyton wasn't exactly a morning person, she still seemed oddly tired. If looks would indicate anything, she didn't look like she had gotten much sleep in the first place.

"And why, young lady, do you look like you haven't slept very much?" Lucas asked in his fake stern voice. Peyton chuckled. Lucas always managed to make her laugh, and today was no exception. "I went to the movies with Nathan last night and we came back here and chatted for a few hours. I didn't hit my bed until around 3," she explained. Lucas nodded, although he felt slightly angry. No, he wasn't angry, but could one say that the blond Scott was actually jealous?

"Shit, he beat me to it," Lucas though to himself. Lucas has planned to be the first one to ask Peyton out, he felt he could easily get the upper hand if he went first, but now he felt that his plan suddenly had a dent in it.

"Which movie did you guys go to see?" he asked, trying to hide his jealousy. "We went to watch Constantine," Peyton replied before getting up and heading to her closet. Lucas sat on the bed, trying his damn hardest not to get upset. But why was he really getting upset? I mean, it was just a "friendly wager right?

RIGHT…………………

"So what are you doing tonight?" he asked. He heard the hangers on the line move and he just assumed she was looking for something to wear. "Probably nothing," she replied a few moments later when she emerged from the closet, clothes and towel hanging over her shoulder. "With Ellie and the girls gone, I don't really go out anymore," she stated. Lucas smiled, absolutely loving the answer he was hoping for.

"Well then, how would you like to join me for dinner tonight? My mom and Keith are going out of town for the next 3 days and the playoffs are on TV and I am really in a cooking mood," he stated. "I'll even dress up like Brooke if you want me to, but mind you, I don't exactly have the cleavage the fill the dress," he added, pushing up his so called "breasts".

Peyton laughed, shaking her head slightly. "First Nathan asks me out, now Lucas. Gee, I must be sexy these days," she teased. "If only you knew," Lucas though to himself. Trying to hide his sneaky look, he sat up, putting his signature cute look on his face. "Well, its either hang out with you, or take up Rachel's offer to go clubbing," he said,

"Oh, so I am just your scapegoat?" she asked. "Yeah, pretty much," Lucas stated. Peyton gasped and threw her shoe at Lucas. He ducked just in time and saw her sticking out his tongue. "That'll teach you," she stated. "So is that a yes?" he asked. Peyton, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to form on her face.

"Sadly, it is," she said. Lucas laughed. For a second he stood there watching as she sorted her clothes. As much as he loved Brooke, he missed the way he and Peyton were when they were "together". Brooke was high class and was always busy primping herself up. Not that Lucas minded, but Brooke was always worried that her make up would smudge or her hair was wrong. Peyton was laid back and always looked casual. Even though she did wear make up, she didn't care if it smudged. Brooke was the model and Peyton was the down to earth. And for a split second he was actually regretting picking the model over the down to earth chick.

"Ok, you better go take a shower, I can smell you all the way over here, and it aint a pretty smell," Lucas joked. "I'll see you later," he stated. "Yeah yeah," Peyton replied before chuckling. She watched him leave and sighed. She enjoyed Lucas's company so much. But lately she felt that it had to take Brooke leaving town for him to have enough time to even say hello to her.

"Oh the joys of being everyone's best friend," she thought to herself before heading to the shower.


End file.
